The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-09-10

amt they9 Been sellin' on 'em ali
winter and gettin' 'em tolably we'll
cleaned out. This boat belongs to INV
son-in-law, and he loaded her up with
potatoes long the last of the season and
come down here to sell EN- on his own
hook. Runs the beat himself, YOU see.
and in the summer he buys salt and
loads up and sells it up along. Paws
better than carryin' freight for other
folks, but faint everybody kin do that.
My boats the next one. She b'longs to
the marble company up to Burlington.
and I'm Cap'n of her. This is my fust
winter down here. Come down to kinder
help my son-in-law sell his stuff. Then
You see my health amt fust rate, and
sorter cal'lated I'd fee better here than
mp i'll Vermont during the cold weather,
but | dunno. My wife, she don't seem
to like here mOre'n middlin' well. Got
the Whole family here. Live right
aboard the boat jes' same's if We was
ter hum. That's M baby there, that
girl skippin' long over them decks.
Here you. Maria. Stop that running
now. Fust thing you'll tumble down
and get hurt. Curious y0Ji can't behave.
Yes, we send herto school Ill winter; right
up here to Miss Smiths select school.
The teacher mp hum was bilin mad cause
we took Maria out and fetched her down
long with US, but l guess she'll have to
git long 'thout her for a spell. You see
we sold out the farm and we've made
Up our minds to go on the canal fog
good, so We all had to come long. It's
pootv sociable here IN winter. These
boats kinder make q village all by them
selves, and folks go visitin' same as #
they were ashore. We get sorter neigh
borly with some of EN- and some We
don't. Tain't always agreeable to know
all your neighbcrs, and some of 'em We
don't wanter know. The young folks
manage to have good time right along.
You see the grain boats are housed over
the whole length, and there amt no deck
same as on these boats. The floor Of
the hold is level as a barn floor and fust
rate for dancing. They git Teller that
can fiddle pooty well and have a dance
once in a while. guess they enjoy
themselves, though 1 don't tend dances
much myself. I'm gettin' along in years
and my health sorter spindling; but
ther was time when could show 'em
how to do the fancy steps. If you wan
ter see how folk live on q canal boat,
just come down into the cabin. This Is
a new boat, and l guess she's got the
best cabin of any boat on the canal"
The cabin of a canal boat is a house
in very small compass. 1t is situated
well aft, and almost the width of the
deck, the house rising about three feet
above deck and leaving narrow pas
sageway on each side. Usually the ca
bin is divided into three compartments
a large living room, a sleeping room,
and kitchen. Under the deck, on the
port side of the large room, is an extra
berth, and lockers, called closets by tine
canal men are plentiful. As these ca
bins are inhabited and cared for gener-
ally by women, the wives of the shippers,
there is nothing nautical about them.
Rocking chairs, sewing machines, pic
lures, bird cages, and pot plants give
them homeiike appearance, and ban
ish al suggestions OF a life on the roll
Ing deep. But the canal boat does get
Il hit Of a rolling once ID while. and
presumably tle herOSene lamps STANDING
on shelves are then safely slowed and
the furniture dashed. Some of the boats
go through the canals to Lake Cham
plain and are towed across the lake or
down to some of the ports, perhaps a
distance of seventy-five miles. Storms
occasionally rise, and the canalmsn in
his fiat-bottom craft gets a taste of navi-
cation, being obliged to stepa mast and
rig up a storm sail in order to keep the
boats head up if the tow line breaks.
The perils of the lake passage and how
the crew of the Eliza Jane remained up
all NIGHT holding the deck CARGO from